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(1) The persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated public health crisis represent an unprecedented challenge for the Member States and impose a heavy burden on national authorities, Union citizens, and economic operators, in particular transport operators. The public health crisis has created extraordinary circumstances that affect the normal activity of the competent authorities in the Member States, as well as the work of transport undertakings as regards the administrative formalities to be completed in different transport sectors, and that could not reasonably have been anticipated at the time of adoption of the relevant measures. Those extraordinary circumstances have a significant impact on various areas covered by Union transport law.

(2) In particular, transport operators and other persons concerned may not be able to complete the necessary formalities or procedures in order to comply with certain provisions of Union law relating to the renewal or extension of certificates, licences and authorisations or in order to complete other steps necessary to maintain their validity. For the same reasons, the competent authorities of the Member States may be unable to comply with obligations established by Union law and to ensure that relevant requests introduced by the transport operators are dealt with before the expiry of the applicable deadlines.

(3) Regulation (EU) 2020/698 of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down specific and temporary measures concerning the renewal and extension of the period of validity of certain certificates, licences and authorisations and the postponement of certain periodic checks and periodic training that, pursuant to the Union legal acts referred to in that Regulation, should have taken place within the period from 1 March 2020, or in certain cases 1 February 2020, to 31 August 2020. In accordance with that Regulation, those certificates, licences and authorisations, as well as certain periodic checks and periodic training, were renewed, extended or postponed, as appropriate, for a period of six months or, in certain cases, of seven months.

(4) Certain Member States that by 1 August 2020 considered that the renewal of certain certificates, licences and authorisations and the completion of certain periodic checks or periodic training were likely to remain impracticable beyond 31 August 2020, due to measures that they had taken to prevent or contain the spread of COVID-19, submitted reasoned requests to the Commission for an authorisation to apply further individual extensions. The Commission adopted six decisions authorising such extensions .

(5) Despite certain improvements in the crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the summer of 2020, the persistence and, in certain cases, the aggravation of the effects of that crisis during the third quarter of 2020 have obliged the Member States to maintain and, in certain cases, reinforce the measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those measures have as a consequence that transport operators and other persons concerned may not be able to complete the necessary formalities or procedures in order to comply with certain provisions of Union law relating to the renewal or extension of certificates, licences and authorisations or to the completion of periodic checks or periodic training, or in order to complete other steps necessary to maintain their validity, as was the case during the spring of 2020. For the same reasons, the competent authorities of the Member States may be unable to comply with obligations established by Union law and to ensure that relevant requests introduced by the transport operators are dealt with before the expiry of the applicable deadlines.

(6) It is therefore necessary to adopt measures to overcome those problems and to ensure both legal certainty and the proper functioning of the legal acts concerned. Adaptations to that effect should be provided for, in particular in respect of certain time limits, with the possibility for the Commission to authorise extensions on the basis of a request submitted by any Member State.

(7) Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down rules applicable to the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers. Those drivers must hold a certificate of professional competence (‘CPC’) and must prove they have completed the periodic training by holding a driving licence or a driver qualification card, on which the periodic training is registered. Due to the difficulties for the holder of a CPC in completing the periodic training and in renewing the CPC certifying the completion of that periodic training as a consequence of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis after 31 August 2020, it is necessary to extend the validity of that CPC for a period of 10 months from its date of expiry, in order to ensure the continuity of road transport. CPCs the validity of which has already been extended in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2020/698 should also benefit from a single additional extension for a reasonable amount of time in light of current constraints as well as for road safety reasons.

(8) Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down rules on driving licences. It provides for the mutual recognition of driving licences issued by Member States based on a Union model driving licence, and lays down a series of minimum requirements for those licences. In particular, motor vehicle drivers must hold a valid driving licence, which must be renewed or, in some cases, exchanged, upon the expiry of its administrative validity. Due to difficulties in renewing driving licences as a consequence of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis after 31 August 2020, it is necessary to extend the validity of certain driving licences for a period of 10 months from their date of expiry, in order to ensure the continuity of mobility by road. Driving licences the validity of which has already been extended in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2020/698 should also benefit from a single additional extension for a reasonable amount of time in light of current constraints as well as for road safety reasons.

(9) Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down rules on tachographs in road transport. Compliance with the rules on driving time, working time and rest periods, as set out in Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 2002/15/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council , is essential to ensuring fair competition and road safety. Due to the need to ensure continuity in the provision of road transport services, despite difficulties in performing the regular inspections of tachographs as a consequence of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis, inspections referred to in Article 23(1) of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 which should have been carried out between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 should now be carried out no later than 10 months following the date on which they were to have been carried out under that Article. For the same reason, difficulties in renewing and replacing driver cards as a consequence of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the persistance of the COVID-19 crisis justify the granting to the competent authorities of the Member States of additional time for those purposes. In such cases, drivers should be put in a position, and should be obliged, to resort to viable alternatives for recording the necessary information related to driving time, working time and rest periods until they receive a new card.

(10) Directive 2014/45/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down rules on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers. Periodic roadworthiness testing is a complex task designed to ensure that vehicles are kept in a safe and environmentally acceptable condition during their use. Due to difficulties in carrying out periodic roadworthiness tests as a consequence of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis after 31 August 2020, the periodic roadworthiness tests which were to have been carried out between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 should now be carried out at a later date, but not later than 10 months after the original time limit, and the certificates concerned should remain valid until that later date.